Early the next morning, the streets outside had quieted down. The bustling and lively Kabukichō had once again fallen into a brief period of rest.
The Alolan Muk and Garbodor from the sanitation department were organizing Grimer and Trubbish to clean the streets.
Normally, they should have been natural enemies, but here, they coexisted harmoniously. Moreover, thanks to good living conditions, they were unexpectedly clean, and their cleaning work left no unpleasant odors.
Hoshino woke up early, tidied himself up, opened the front door for ventilation, and went to prepare breakfast for Gengar and Cyclizar, who were still asleep. Those two were truly a handful.
One kept floating around the room non-stop after learning to levitate, never seeming to get tired, while the other chased after it endlessly.
Breakfast was the same as yesterday's. He planned to buy some groceries in the commercial district after school in the afternoon—after all, he had earned some money yesterday, and life should be enjoyed.
Since there weren't any major expenses, Hoshino wasn't particularly fond of saving money. It was a habit from the past. Since he wasn't considering marriage or buying a house, he didn't have a stable job and just wandered from place to place.
However, now that he had Pokémon, he knew he needed to make some changes.
But changing habits formed over twenty years in just two months wasn't easy. At the very least, he was making an effort.
While waiting for the water to boil, he returned to the living room and glanced at the Sparkling Stone on his desk—something he had studied last night but left there afterward.
Unfortunately, he hadn't figured anything out. He even asked Slowking yesterday, but Slowking only said he had seen it before and that it was just a strange stone.
"I really have no clue how to turn this into a Z-Ring. Should I ask someone for help? I remember the Island Kahunas should have the technology for this…"
The thought crossed Hoshino's mind but was quickly dismissed. He didn't like working with others—an issue with his personality—so he had no human friends.
"Forget it, I'll take my time. Expanding my Odd Jobs business(yorozuya) is more important right now!"
After finishing breakfast, he rode Cyclizar to Smile Restaurant. Since Nai-chan had returned, it was good to stop by and say hello.
Today, Gardevoir was still dressed in her signature high-slit cheongsam. When she saw him coming, she assumed he was there to help out again.
After all, there wasn't much to do for breakfast—it was a traditional restaurant, and breakfast options were fixed.
Hoshino had already learned everything necessary long ago. Now, he was just familiarizing himself with the ingredients of this world, though he had mostly grasped them by now.
Lately, he had been showing up under the guise of helping out, but in reality, it was just an excuse to get free breakfast. Gardevoir knew this but never refused.
"Gard?"
Seeing the little Gengar floating mid-air, Gardevoir's usually lazy demeanor changed for the first time. Her eyes lit up with joy, and she fell in love at first sight.
"This is Nai-chan. Say hello."
"Gengar~"
"Gard~"
Gardevoir reached out and caught the floating Gengar. Though she had long outgrown playing with dolls, she still had no resistance to cute things—especially since this one was a little sister.
Seeing this scene, Hoshino and Cyclizar exchanged glances. They both had the same thought—this little one was unexpectedly popular…
After saying goodbye to Nai-chan, Hoshino took Gengar, who was now holding a pile of candy, and rode Cyclizar to school. Winter break would start this weekend, meaning he'd have plenty of free time, but school still had to be attended.
Unusually, as they left the slums, they didn't run into Meowth and its gang. When those guys disappeared for a few days, it usually meant they were planning something big. He'd need to keep an eye out in the coming days.
Just before 9 AM, they arrived at school leisurely. After getting off Cyclizar, the Pokémon ran off to play on its own, while Hoshino carried Gengar upstairs. He was usually the last one to arrive…
Inside the classroom, all the other students were already present. Since it wasn't class time yet, they were chatting noisily about all sorts of things.
Selene was used to this and didn't bother interfering. She turned to face Lillie, who was reading a book, and asked, "Winter break is almost here. Do you have any plans for the end of the year?"
"Hmm…"
Lillie lifted her head, lost in thought, then smiled and replied, "Nothing is set, but it'll probably be the same as previous years—I'll go study at the Malie Library. I can't go out into the wild, after all."
Hearing this, Selene sighed softly. She knew the reason but didn't bring it up. Instead, she changed the topic with a smile. "Do you want to come to my house for New Year's? My mom really likes you—she'd be thrilled to see you!"
Lillie's expression briefly showed a desire to accept, with a hint of envy in her eyes, but she eventually shook her head lightly. "No, I have to go home…"
Selene knew Lillie was keeping some things to herself. As a friend, she couldn't press the issue, so she simply planned to move on to another topic.
But just then, surprised exclamations erupted in the classroom, especially from Mallow and the other girls.
Selene and Lillie instinctively turned to look. From the classroom door, they saw Hoshino—still looking injured—slowly walking in, carrying a pink Gengar plush dressed in a skirt.
The grudge from over a month ago had long faded for the other students. They had started treating Hoshino like a passerby, someone they ignored. But now, it was impossible to ignore him.
"This guy actually…"
Selene couldn't comprehend it. A guy with such a rough and unapproachable aura was carrying a pink plush? The contrast was too much—she didn't even know where to begin.
Lillie, however, had a different reaction. Her focus was entirely on the Gengar. She muttered, "What a cute plush…"
Hoshino, as usual, ignored the others and returned to his seat under their gazes. But instead of immediately going to sleep, he took out a book.
He planned to use his free time at school to train Gengar. In this world, moves had to be learned through study—there were no convenient TMs. Everything had to be built up gradually.
His first goals were Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, and Ice Punch—the classic elemental trio. Then, Focus Punch, Drain Punch, and Mega Punch. With a full combo like that, who could stand against it?
"Feels a bit chaotic, but with talent like this, not using punches would be a waste. I'll take it slow… Hmm?"
He noticed Lillie in the front row staring curiously at Gengar on his desk, looking like she wanted to touch it but didn't dare.
"What are you doing?"
Startled, Lillie nervously asked in a small voice, "Um… Can I borrow this plush to hold for a bit?"
Hoshino instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he recalled seeing her at the claw machine shop before. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed.
"You can, but don't bully her."
"Thank you!"
Lillie excitedly hugged the Gengar, ignoring the envious stares from the other students.
But as soon as she picked it up, she noticed something odd. "This skirt isn't factory-made—it's hand-sewn?"
"I spent half the night making it."
"Your craftsmanship is amazing!"
"It's nothing special. Don't flatter me—I know my limits."
Meanwhile, Selene and the others felt like they were witnessing a miracle. Sewing a plush's skirt? Since when did this guy have such a skill?
Lillie, still admiring the Gengar, smiled continuously—until Gengar blinked at her curiously.
"Eh?"
"Gengar~"
Hoshino smirked. "Cute, right? She looks like a plush, but she's a real Pokémon. So don't squeeze too hard, or she'll hit you."
"!!!"
Lillie's face turned pale. She stiffened like a statue.
"???"
Hoshino was caught off guard, while Selene and the other students shouted, "Lillie can't touch Pokémon!"
"Huh?"
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